


I Wasn't Expecting That

by mistymari



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, I'll just add tags as I go, Kind of Canon Compliant, Reader has she/her pronouns, Slow Burn, Solomon deserves more attention, Solomon doing shady shit, This fic is more for myself than it is for you lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28184424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistymari/pseuds/mistymari
Summary: Solomon likes to believe that he has things fairly under control when he agrees to participate in RAD’s Student Exchange Program, that is, until his unexpected encounter with you. He can hold his own against the demons, but can he handle the new human exchange student? Well, he’ll certainly try.
Relationships: Main Character/Solomon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Solomon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 84





	1. The Sorcerer

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first time attempting to write a fic, so I am very sorry in advance for the mistakes I'm sure I'll be making. Thanks for taking a chance and reading my writing! I've used "MC" for the reader, if you prefer reading another name, feel free to use the InteractiveFics chrome extension and replace the name with whatever you'd like.

A blaring alarm sounded from your D.D.D. and you groaned, rolling over in bed to quickly shut it off. Blearily opening your eyes, you stared up at the ceiling of your room, staring at the leaves and vines dangling overhead. You’d been in the Devildom for three days now, and it’s a lot to take in.

The existence of demons, you could handle. Going to demon college? Sure. But the apparent lack of daylight was wreaking havoc on your sleeping schedule. Your body still seemed to be adjusting to waking up in what seemed like the pitch black of night. Dragging yourself out of bed, you looked into the mirror with a frown. The bags had gotten more pronounced since your arrival here, perhaps it would be good to look into sleeping aids. 

_Surely there must be some sort of magical product around here for such things, you think to yourself._ As you brush out your hair and begin to dress in your RAD uniform, the bedroom door bursts open abruptly, and Mammon is making a loud entrance.  
“Oi, human! It’s time to get your ass down to breakfast. I’m not bailing you out if Lucifer gets pissed at you for being late.”

“Mammon, I thought we were past the whole human thing.” You said, turning to him with an overly exaggerated pout. “I don’t want to use the pact but I will if that’s the only way you’ll call me by my name.” 

“Gah, that’s not necessary! Don’t joke about that shit MC!” Mammon blustered, the tips of his ears going red at the sight of your pouting face. 

You were only half-joking with him, freshly bound together by a pact, the Avatar of Greed was beginning to grow on you. The two of you actually clicked quite well once you’d gotten past the initial half-hearted threats of eating you or selling you off to the lesser demons. Within the span of a few days, he’d become one of the only beings you truly trusted here in the Devildom.

The other brothers seemed nice enough (for demons), but you still had a long way to go before you could really say you felt at home here. A pair of snapping fingers broke you out of your thoughts. 

“Hellooo, MC, are ya in there? I said it’s time to haul ass down to breakfast.” Mammon was staring at you with feigned annoyance, waiting for you to reply.

“Yeah, my bad, let’s go.” You gave him a playful punch on the arm as he walked beside you down the hall.

Breakfast was the usual ordeal, at least from what you’d seen so far from breakfast in the House of Lamentation. It had started normally enough but ultimately ended with Lucifer threatening to hang his brothers upside down in the hallway after a particularly loud argument between Leviathan and Beel; something to do with the latter eating Levi’s plate of pancakes. 

As you walked to class later that day you wondered to yourself about the other exchange students. You had yet to meet the others, and your thoughts drifted to the other human exchange student. Lucifer had briefly mentioned that the other student had much more experience when it came to magical beings, and thus was far better prepared, but you couldn’t help but wonder if they too were finding life in the Devildom to be a difficult transition.

Absentmindedly, you looked down at your D.D.D. and paused to figure out your exact location on the school map you’d been using to find your way to classes. Mammon had walked you to the first two but you didn’t have any of the demon brothers in your Demonology course, so you were left to find your own way.

 _I suppose the seven princes of hell don’t really need to take a class about themselves._ You thought. _But it is pretty weird to keep seeing their names show up in the textbook when I literally sleep in the same house as them._

Lost in your thoughts, you didn’t notice the large flock of students passing you on the staircase. As they passed by, you nearly stumbled but caught yourself on the railing. Your D.D.D. was not so fortunate and laid face down on the floor where you’d dropped it, you silently prayed that it wasn’t cracked, you weren’t so sure that you’d get a replacement if you damaged this one. But before you could bend down to pick it up, a long, slender hand had grabbed it off the floor.

You looked up and met eyes with a handsome young man, his deep blue eyes tinted with yellow and shockingly silver hair almost made you think he was a demon. He offered you a small smile in greeting, holding out your D.D.D. to you.

“Ah, thanks! I was totally distracted and it slipped out of my hand.” You said gratefully as you took the phone from his outstretched hand. You looked at the mystery-man with curiosity, he seemed someone shorter than the demons you’d become accustomed to seeing, but was by no means short. Despite being a step lower than you, he was nearly at eye-level. 

_Could he be the human student I've been hearing about?_

_Ah! I’m staring._ Quickly you averted your eyes, hoping he hadn’t noticed your not-so-subtle gawking. 

“You’re MC, right?” The silver-haired man asked with a cool smile that revealed absolutely nothing to you. You nodded in response, waiting for him to introduce himself. After a beat of silence, it became apparent that he would not give you any more information until you asked.

“And you must be the other human exchange student.” You said, allowing your curiosity to trump your pride just this once. His grin seemed to grow slightly at your response, you felt a twinge of annoyance at the way he carried himself. You could practically feel the arrogance dripping off of him and it rubbed you the wrong way, but you figured even an annoying human would still be good to know in a world filled with demons.

“Ah yes, I’m flattered that RAD’s most popular student has already heard of me. I’m Solomon, pleased to make your acquaintance.” He gave a small bow. You held back the sudden urge to roll your eyes. 

“Oh, I don’t know if I’d call myself popular, just an oddity by Devildom standards. I’m sure you get just as many weird stares as I do.” 

“I may be human, but I’m certainly far less interesting than the girl who managed to make a pact with one of the seven demon lords in just a matter of days.” The look he gave you made you feel as though you were being thoroughly appraised, you felt uneasy. “I look forward to getting to know you better during our time here in the Devildom.” And with that, he turned and continued his ascent up the staircase. Your gaze followed him until he disappeared down the hallway. You frowned, confused about what to make of your brief conversation, and prepared to resume your walk to your Demonology class when you saw Lucifer descending the stairs. 

“Hi Lucifer.” You waved at him, preparing to walk past him and toward your class but he held out a hand, commanding you to stop.

“Good afternoon, I see you’ve met Solomon,” Lucifer said nonchalantly. “While it may be good to have another human around as a reminder of home, I would advise you to tread carefully. Solomon is incredibly untrustworthy and would do anything to gain power. I’ve seen the way he hounds my brothers for pacts and I wouldn’t put it past him to find a way of manipulating you if you’re not cautious.” His eyes held something of both anger and disdain, making you wonder if there were more personal reasons behind Lucifer’s warning.

“Thanks, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” You gave him a cordial smile. Despite not being extremely close with Lucifer, you trusted that his advice was genuine. After all, if something were to happen to Diavolo’s precious human exchange student, the responsibility would fall on him. You said your goodbyes and parted ways. You walked briskly towards your classroom, you hadn’t expected to be sidetracked on your way and you absolutely did not want to make a bad impression by showing up late to the first class.

Upon entering the classroom you scanned the various desks, trying to determine where to sit. And to your surprise, at the very back of the class sat Solomon, who raised his eyebrows when he noticed you. 

_Oh, great, just my luck to run into him right after Lucifer’s cryptic warning. I should have seen this coming, he’d been walking in the same direction as me earlier,_ you thought to yourself. You didn’t dislike the sorcerer but you weren’t sure that your impression of him was altogether positive. It seemed keeping your distance from him would be impossible at this point.

He tilted his head toward the seat beside him, silently gesturing for you to join him. You walked toward the desk, placing your bookbag down on the ground and sitting on the stool. 

“Hey, stranger.” You said jokingly, offering a small smile. _As shady as he may be, he hasn’t given a good enough reason for me to be a total jerk._ “I’m glad I know at least one person’s name in this class, I was prepared to be a complete loner.” You said as you gestured to the demons around you, none of whom you recognized.

As Solomon opened his mouth to reply, the professor walked into the class, effectively cutting him off. You spent the rest of your time in class frantically scribbling the various names and titles within the Devildom hierarchy. Your hand was aching by the end of class and you glanced at Solomon’s notebook, which was completely blank. You reckoned the man was either a genius with photographic memory or a complete idiot.

But, Lucifer must have warned you about him for a good reason. You decided you would ask Mammon for more details on the mysterious sorcerer.

\---------

Solomon’s eyes followed MC as she exited the classroom. _Very interesting,_ he thought to himself. They had only exchanged a few brief sentences before class but he found her to be rather intriguing. A relatively non-magical human, who had managed to create a pact of one of the Seven Demon Lords, the second-most powerful nonetheless, was certainly unusual. Especially one who did not seem to fully understand the significance of what she had done.

Someone with the unique ability to so easily influence powerful demons would be useful in the coming year. He absentmindedly toyed with one of the rings on his finger as he became lost in his plans for the future. Yes, he would be sure to keep her close for the time being; this could prove to be a great investment.


	2. The Inquiry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lol so I've been replaying the earlier lessons to remember what happens and keep the story fairly canon-compliant and I literally already messed up the timeline oops, but it shouldn't change too much of the plot. Hopefully from here on out everything else will be a little more accurate!!

You walked back from RAD side by side with Mammon, who had been complaining loudly for the last 5 minutes about how Lucifer had shut down one of his get-rich-quick schemes today during lunch. Apparently, Mammon had been caught trying to charge some of the lesser demons an entry fee for the bathroom. Once Lucifer had gotten wind of it, things had gone downhill pretty fast.

“Now, not only do I have to return all the grimm I made fair n’ square, but I’ve also got kitchen duty for the next week!” 

“Okay, I can’t say I disagree with him making you return the money, but I agree that a whole week of kitchen duty might be a little over the top.” You said, trying your best to comfort the white-haired demon. He was very clearly upset, and you knew the last thing he needed right now was more scolding. “Don’t worry about it too much, I’ll help you with kitchen duty! But in return, I’ll need a favor.” 

“Tch, forget about it then. And here I was, thinkin’ that you were offerin’ out of the kindness of your heart,” Mammon grumbled in annoyance, ready to dismiss your offer. 

“I promise it isn’t anything big! I just have a few questions I’d like you to answer.” Mammon gave you a suspicious look, seemingly not convinced that there wasn’t more to your request. “And if you decide you’d rather not talk about it, that’s fine! You’ll just have to deal with kitchen duty alone.”

“Gah fine, whaddya want to know?”

“It’s about Solomon, the other human exchange student; I want to know more about him.” 

Mammon squinted at you in confusion. “Why the hell do you want to know about him?”

You shrugged. “No real reason, I just happened to meet him today. I guess I’d just like to know a little more about my fellow human is all.” Giving him a pleading look, you silently begged for him to tell you more.

“If I were you I’d steer clear of that guy, he’s bad news. Lucifer doesn’t trust him, and neither should you.” Mammon blew out a puff of air, seemingly annoyed by the topic of conversation.

“But why? What does Lucifer have against him? Did something happen? Everyone’s telling me he’s untrustworthy but I have no idea what the big deal is.”   
“Okay look, you need to understand that Solomon isn’t your average human, he isn’t like you. He’s scarily powerful, and what he lacks in strength he makes up for with that brain of his, and that makes him dangerous.” He gave you a look as if to say you wouldn’t get anything else out of him. You arched an eyebrow at him, unsatisfied with Mammon’s answer. “Tch. Are all humans as nosy as you are? Or do you just enjoy being annoying?” 

Frowning, you quicken your pace, walking ahead of him. You really weren’t asking for much. “Fine, I guess I’ll just have to go ask someone else.”

“H-hey wait up! I’ll tell ya more, chill out.” 

“A long time ago, an angel by the name of Michael gave Solomon a ring imbued with wisdom. It gave him the power to control demons, allowing Solomon to make 72 pacts, one of ‘em bein’ with Asmo. Back in those days, he was practically a slave driver with the way he treated them, forcing them to work hours on end.”

“That’s awful!” 

“Yeah, it’s fucked up, but not unheard of for pacts.”

“Then why would you ever agree to make a pact with me?” 

Mammon shrugged. “Well, you may have a pact with me but you have absolutely no idea of how to use it, so there’s really no harm, is there?” He gave you a smirk, knowing that as much as you wanted to argue back, he was right. You hadn’t the faintest idea of how to do anything remotely magical.

“Anyway, it seems like Solomon has mellowed out a bit over the years but me and my brothers still haven’t really gotten over it, and the guy still persists with tryin’ to get us into pacts as well. He’s more a nuisance than anything, but I wouldn’t be stupid enough to underestimate him.”

You nodded slowly. Mammon’s explanation had at least given you a better idea of why demons seemed to be uneasy around Solomon, and you could empathize with Lucifer and Mammon’s dislike for him. Clearly, the two of them cared deeply for their younger brother and had not forgiven Solomon for the way he’d treated him. Although, you were definitely still left wondering about many things; like why Asmodeus had agreed to a pact with Solomon in the first place, or where exactly things stood between him and the sorcerer now. 

Before you could ask anything else, the two of you had reached the front door of the House of Lamentation. The rest of your day was fairly packed from the moment you walked through the door, having volunteered to help with kitchen duty, you were stuck cooking for well over an hour. Following dinner, you forced yourself to stay awake, brewing a strong cup of coffee and resolving to reread over your notes from Demonology before going to bed.

The learning curve between Demon college and human college was certainly steep, and despite your best efforts to pay attention during lectures and keep up with your assignments, it was sometimes difficult to wrap your head around all of the new information.

After about two hours of glaring daggers at your notebook, you decided that you weren’t going to get any further tonight, and would try to ask for help from one of the brothers tomorrow. You changed into a loose-fitting t-shirt and a pair of baggy sweatpants and dove face-first onto your bed, letting out a sigh of exhaustion. Perhaps it was the lack of sunlight that warped your sense of time but you swore that days in the Devildom were much longer than those back home.

You opened your eyes and sat up groggily, trying to get your bearings. You checked your D.D.D. and squinted at the bright screen, seeing that it was still the middle of the night. As you rubbed at your eyes, you paused abruptly, hearing what seemed to be a soft voice, quietly calling out to you.

“Help,” the mysterious voice whispered. You stood, and before your brain could catch up with your legs, you were already out in the hall, walking toward the whispered plea for help. At the end of the hall was a black door with an ornate golden handle. Taking a moment to glance around the hall to make sure nobody else was out, you opened the door. 

Your view of what laid beyond the door was mostly obstructed, due to Lucifer’s angry form standing at the very bottom of the spiral staircase, glaring down at you. You jumped back in surprise, staring at him with wide eyes, you fumbled to make an excuse for why you were out of your room past his strict curfew.

“What’s going on, MC? Out for a midnight stroll?” Lucifer looked down his nose at you with a cruel smile crossing his features. 

“Oh wow, this isn’t the bathroom!” You turned, ready to bolt to your room, but Lucifer gripped your shoulder harshly and spun you back around to face him.

“Don’t think for a second that you can fool me with such an idiotic excuse.” His crimson eyes bored into yours, silently daring you to speak and reap the consequences. “I see you’re awfully curious about what lies beyond these stairs. I assure you, it is no human’s concern. If you can’t sleep, perhaps I should make you some tea?” You could see a menacing glint in his eye as he continued speaking. “Something that will help you have a good night’s sleep. You should probably know that it’s a bit too effective, in fact, you may never wake up again.”

In the back of your mind, you hoped that he was just making empty promises of violence. Surely Lucifer cared too much about pleasing Diavolo to actually harm you. But despite your doubts about whether or not he would actually follow through with his threat, you weren’t willing to chance it. 

“Do I make myself clear? Go to your room, and stay there.” You gave a curt nod, before quickly turning on your heel and walking back in the direction you had come. Internally, you were fuming. It seemed that Lucifer was determined to alienate you in as many ways as possible while you were here, and his cryptic warnings were beginning to get on your nerves.

Maybe it was time for you to decide for yourself what you could and couldn’t handle. You were now determined to spite Lucifer, starting with finding out what stood at the top of those stairs and getting to know a certain sorcerer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, as much as I wanted to include Solomon in this chapter, it didn't really fit well :( I promise he will be in the next one!!


	3. The Plan

You spent a good portion of the night pacing the length of your room, attempting to concoct a plan to get to the top of the mysterious staircase. Part of you dreaded knowing the truth, thinking back to the whispered plea for help, you pondered what, or who, Lucifer could possibly be hiding up there. You wondered if any of the other brothers might know anything substantial, and you resigned to get some sleep, nothing more could be done tonight.

The next morning seemed to come too quickly and you fought to stifle a yawn as you sat down at the breakfast table. 

“Damn MC, you look like you didn’t get a wink of sleep,” Mammon remarked as he took a sip of his orange juice. You glanced over at Lucifer, who gave you a warning look, clearly not wanting you to tell Mammon why exactly you were so tired. You shrugged nonchalantly at Mammon.

“I guess my body just isn’t adjusted to Devildom time yet,” you said as you stifled a yawn. Mammon looked at you suspiciously for a moment, and you wondered if he was able to see through your act, but in a moment his features returned to normal, making you doubt whether or not you imagined it. 

You walked to RAD, once more alongside Mammon, who had made quite the fuss when you’d asked him to accompany you, complaining that your slow walking was bound to make him late. _As if he ever showed up to classes on time anyway_ , you’d thought bitterly to yourself.

“I have a question.”

“You always do.” Mammon retorted, but with no actual bite in his voice. “Shoot.” 

“What’s at the top of the staircase at the end of the hall?” 

“Ya mean the stairs to the attic? Why do you want to know?”

“It’s clear to me that Lucifer doesn’t want me anywhere near the attic, and I’d like to know why.”

Mammon fixed you with a hard stare, scanning your features as if he were searching for a good enough reason to help you.

“I doubt that it’s anything important, but if you’d really like to see for yourself, you’ll need some help.” You gave him a grateful smile. Mammon for all of his talk of disliking his human exchange student, you had the impression that you’d started to grow on him. 

“Great, so where do we start?”

“Well, in order to get up those stairs you’ll need to distract Lucifer, which won’t exactly be easy.”

“And how do you propose we do that?”

“I may have an idea, but it’ll require some work.” Mammon ran a hand through his hair, his blue eyes darting back and forth behind the lenses of his sunglasses. You could practically see the plan beginning to formulate in his mind’s eye.

“I’m listening.”

The duration of your walk was spent listening to Mammon’s elaborate plan to get Lucifer away from the staircase long enough for you to sneak by undetected.

\---------

Solomon absentmindedly twirled a pen between his fingers staring straight ahead in a bored daze; he’d been sitting in the library for the past hour, accompanied by Luke and Simeon. The two angels had invited him to do homework together and he’d agreed to join them but had immediately come to regret it when Luke began to rant furiously about the utter ridiculousness of an angel being forced to learn Temptation Techniques 101. 

His high-pitched complaints rang in Solomon’s ears as he tried desperately to tune him out. The temptation to cast a silencing charm on the young angel grew by the minute, but he wasn’t sure that incurring Simeon’s wrath was worth it, no matter how amusing the spectacle might be. One could only dream.

As much as Solomon enjoyed the company of the angels, he couldn’t help but be slightly disappointed about his being assigned to Purgatory Hall. After all, he’d partially agreed to participate in the exchange program with the hopes of making more pacts. Thus far, his interactions with the other demons aside from Asmodeus had been rather limited. But that could change if he played his cards right.

He was broken out of his thoughts as a head of snow-white hair swiftly passed through his line of sight and just as quickly disappeared behind one of the many bookcases. Mammon? Seeing him in the library of all places was quite unexpected, it had probably been many years since he’d stepped into the place, Solomon thought with amusement. And where the Avatar of Greed was, his new favorite human couldn’t be far. 

Clearing his throat, Solomon abruptly stood from his chair, causing a startled Luke to pause mid-rant. Both angels looked up at him in confusion. 

“I’ll be right back.” They nodded and the young angel continued recounting his long list of complaints to Simeon, who listened with a patient smile. How he had the patience for such things was unfathomable to Solomon. From what he’d heard, the demon brothers had tauntingly nicknamed him “Chihuahua” which seemed quite fitting. 

Solomon walked silently in the direction he’d seen Mammon headed, casting a cloaking spell with the flick of his wrist as soon as he was out of the sight of his peers. As he turned the corner, he saw Mammon and MC crouching at the end of the long aisle, perusing a row of books on the bottom shelf with great interest.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t slightly dissatisfied with the sight, he’d been hoping to stumble across something a little more interesting than two students looking for reading material. Maybe it was wishful thinking to expect much else from two people in a library. Just as he prepared to walk dejectedly back to his peers, he overheard a fragment of your conversation.

“Mammon, are you really sure this will work?”

“Oi, do you want my help or not? He’s my brother so I’m your best bet for getting a pact with him.”

“You know I’m not doing this just because I want a pact!” MC hissed back. 

“Yeah yeah sure, but you aren’t exactly hatin’ the idea of another pact either.” MC glared silently at the back of Mammon’s head

Solomon inched closer to the bickering pair, his interest suddenly caught. If the exchange student was truly trying to make more pacts, perhaps he’d underestimated their naïvety. He peered over their crouched figures, trying to get a glimpse at the books they’d picked from the shelves. The binding on the large novel in MC’s hand was immediately familiar to the sorcerer: _The Tale of Seven Lords: Volume One_.

As he leaned in closer, trying to look at the other books, Mammon suddenly paused. The demon looked from side to side, as if sensing Solomon’s presence.

“Hey, let’s check these out and head back to the House of Lamentation. Lucifer has eyes everywhere and I’d rather not have him finding out the real reason why you’re challenging Levi to a TSL trivia battle.”

“Are you really sure that I’ll be able to beat him in a trivia battle about his favorite series? I won’t be able to read all 138 volumes in time, let alone memorize everything!” MC appeared worried, chewing on her lip and trying to balance the large stack of books she’d selected as she trailed behind Mammon.

“Well unless you have any better ideas, this is the only way you’re gonna get around Lucifer.”

MC sighed in defeat as she followed her guardian demon out of the aisle and toward the checkout desk at the front of the library. 

From what he’d gathered, MC intended to have a battle of TSL knowledge with Leviathan, and if she won, she’d have yet another pact under her belt. As Solomon watched her leave, he couldn’t help but chuckle, Lucifer would certainly have his hands full keeping her in line, why not help add to the fun?

He took out his D.D.D. and sent a text to Levi.

_Levi, what do you say to a TSL marathon after school?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayyy the plot is finally starting to go somewhere!! I'm hoping to have the next few updates be a little more timely now that the holidays are over lol.


	4. The Secret Phrase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay, but here's the fourth chapter! I'm sorry if it seems the plot is a little slow going so far lol I'm definitely figuring this story out as I go along.

Your arms ached from the weight of the several TSL novels you’d been carrying for the better half of an hour. You glared at Mammon’s back, he was holding absolutely nothing and despite your complaints, refused to do any of the heavy lifting himself. You were tempted to try and use the pact between the two of you to force him into helping, but felt a little guilty knowing that it would be against his will.

“Speed it up human!” Mammon shouted from up ahead. On second thought, maybe you wouldn’t feel that bad. 

After your agonizingly tiring walk back to the House of Lamentation, you were sure your limbs were about to fall off. You collapsed on Mammon’s sofa and groaned dramatically.

“I need a minute to breathe,” you groaned, burying your face into the cushions. You felt a pair of hands grip your shoulders, as you were pulled to your feet. 

“You’re gettin’ sweat all over the sofa! This is worth more grimm than your whole life savings!” Mammon glared at you in annoyance, but there was no true anger to his words. “We don’t have time to sit around while ya catch your breath, get yourself cleaned up and we’ll go to Levi’s room. We haven’t even gotten him to agree to any of this yet.”

You sighed dramatically and held out your arms for Mammon to pull you to your feet. The two of you walked to Levi’s room and you silently prayed that Levi would be willing to let you borrow his TSL record without any fuss, although you knew it was pretty much hopeless. The Avatar of Envy didn’t seem very keen on becoming better friends, let alone loaning you one of his precious collector’s items. And while you hated to admit it, Mammon accompanying you probably wasn’t going to do you any favors either. As much you appreciated his help, the two brothers didn’t see eye to eye all of the time. As the two of you reached the door to Levi’s room, Mammon turned to face you.

“Don’t go thinkin’ everything is just gonna turn out the way you want it to. If this doesn’t work, you’ll just have to deal with not know–”

“You’re making way too much noise jackass!” A voice shouted angrily from behind the closed door. Mammon’s head swiveled to glare at the wooden door in front of him. 

“Who the hell do ya think you’re callin’ a jackass!?” 

“You, obviously Mammoron! Would you mind shouting outside of someone else’s door, I’m in the middle of rewatching _The Magical Ruri Hana: Demon Girl and you’re totally ruining it with your obnoxious voice.”_

“Pfft, I’m pretty sure my voice is way better than your dumb otaku–” You clear your throat and shake your head at Mammon, silently telling him to stop. The point of visiting Levi was to get on his good side, not give him more reasons to deny your request.

“Levi, could we come in?” You asked sweetly. Your question was answered with an annoyed scoff.

“No. I don’t need normies coming in and killing the vibe.” Clearly, you wouldn’t be able to talk your way into getting ahold of that TSL record. You opened your mouth to voice your doubtful thoughts to Mammon but stopped as you saw a figure approaching the two of you from down the hall. 

You peered around Mammon to get a better look at the newcomer and made a noise of confusion as you stood face to face with Solomon, who wore a smug smile on his face. 

“Aren’t you in the wrong dormitory?” You asked. He looked down at you in amusement. Solomon hadn’t given you a specific reason to dislike him, but something about the way the demons avoided him made you uneasy. His smile seemed charming enough but the more you saw him, the more you noticed that his pleasant words didn’t match the cold and calculating look in his eyes. But your desire to spite Lucifer trumped whatever apprehension had about the sorcerer in front of you, and you would need to learn to bear with his ominous presence. 

“I’m exactly where I want to be.” Solomon replied. “It’s a nice surprise seeing you two here, you’re the pair everyone at RAD’s been talking about.”

“Surprise my ass,” Mammon spat, “we live here. But I can’t say the same for you.” He stood with his arms folded across his chest, and had angled himself between you and Solomon. The change in his position was so subtle you weren’t even sure if Mammon had consciously done it. But nevertheless, you couldn’t help but internally smile at his attempt to protect you. Maybe you’d grown on him after all. “And who the hell are ya callin’ a pair!? What’s that mean?”

Hmm, perhaps you spoke too soon.

Solomon inclined his head toward you as he spoke. “I’m referring to the rumor that a certain human exchange student has already managed to make a pact with a demon within the first few days of getting here.” He gave you an appraising look and continued, “I must say, there is certainly more to you than meets the eye.” And what the hell is that backhanded compliment supposed to mean?

“Apparently this demon must be a real idiot, to be exploited and manipulated so easily by a human who doesn’t know the first thing about pacts.” Solomon’s eyes glinted seemed to glint mischievously. You felt a pang of annoyance at the obvious jab directed toward Mammon, but refused to let him get a rise out of you.

 _That’s exactly what he wants, anyway._ You attempt to tell that to yourself a few more times before responding.

“Why are you here?” You asked in what you hoped was a calm-sounding voice. You clenched your fist as you tried to resist the temptation to snap at his remarks. 

He shrugged lazily. “I’m here because Levi invited me.”

Mammon laughed. “That’s rich. As if that otaku would ever invite anyone over.” 

Solomon raised a brow, but walked past the two of you to knock on the door to Leviathan’s bedroom, in what seemed to be a secret code.

Leviathan’s voice could be heard from behind the door as he shouted, “Secret phrase?”

Solomon cleared his throat and began to recite what seemed to be a TSL reference.

“The second lord…”

“attempted to steal the Lord of Corruption's platypus, which could lay golden eggs…” Levi replied.

“having incurred the wrath of the Lord of Corruption for this misdeed... “  
“it was ordered that the second lord would be forever dubbed The lord of Fools."

You and Mammon exchanged a puzzled glance, and a Mammon gave a small grunt of shock when the door opened to reveal the blue-tinted glow of Leviathan’s room. Solomon turned toward the two of you, a smirk painted on his face, as he walked through the entrance to the room, and the door shut behind him.

In what seemed to be the blink of an eye, Mammon was at the door, knocking noisily.

“Solomon you bastard! Tell me how ya got that otaku to let you in!” He pounded on the wooden door repeatedly, seemingly determined to make as much noise as possible. Despite the frustrating situation, you smiled to yourself. Mammon had insisted that he didn’t care about helping you, yet he seemed so determined now. You tilted your head away from him, knowing he would cease immediately if you called him out on it. 

“Give it up Mammon, you’re not getting in without the secret phrase!” Mammon clicked his tongue in agitation and swiveled to look at you, eyebrows raised as if to say _I told you this wasn’t going to work._

“No dice, human. I guess that just means you won’t be finding out what’s at the top of those stairs.”

You shook your head. “No, I’m not dropping it. Didn’t you say if I brush up on my TSL knowledge Leviathan might be willing to talk to me?”

“Well yeah, but how are ya plannin’ on memorizing all of those books any time soon? It’d take you ages.”

“What about the movie adaptation then?” You weren’t even sure if there were TSL movies, it was a total shot in the dark.

Mammon pondered the suggestion, both arms stretched behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling in thought. He gave you a lopsided grin. “Huh, I guess that could work. Whaddya say human, you up for a movie marathon tonight?”


	5. The Marathon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when I started writing this I really didn't expect to go past like two chapters, but this has been a lot of fun and you guys have motivated me to invest more time into writing this. thanks for all of the support so far, enjoy this new chapter!

Solomon didn’t try very hard to conceal the smug grin on his face as he sauntered into Levi’s room. He strolled toward the large fish tank at the back of the room, taking in the space before him. Despite the confident front he maintained in front of Mammon and the exchange student, he was a little surprised himself that Leviathan had been so willing to befriend him. 

The Avatar of Envy’s reputation as a social outcast was known not only in the Devildom but within magic circles across all three of the realms. But if all it took was investing some time into the world of TSL and anime, he was sure that a pact would not be too difficult to obtain.

The sorcerer strolled to the other side of the room, perusing the impressive collection of DVDs, manga, and CDs stacked upon the row of shelves.

“Would you prefer to watch chronologically or by theatrical release?” Solomon asked the demon, who was now crouched in front of the TV set. 

“Is that even a question?” The blue-haired demon scoffed indignantly. “Theatrical release is the only respectable answer, it makes the surprise twist so much better in the fifth movie!”

Solomon hummed in affirmation as he pulled the first disk from the shelf. Despite this marathon being a product of his own initiative, he couldn’t help but wonder how the other two were currently fairing. He regretted not casting a spying charm on them before they left.

\------

“Popcorn?”

“Check!”

“Super-Spicy Hell-sauce Ramen?”

“Check! Although, I’m not sure if this is actually safe for me to eat.” You said skeptically as you examined the bowl of instant ramen in your hand.

“Nonsense, this barely burns, don’t tell me the weak human can’t handle a little spice!” Mammon said as he dug through the kitchen cabinets, scrounging for whatever leftover snacks he could get his hands on.

You rolled your eyes at his remark and began to look through the fridge for something to drink. “If I die, you’re going down with me. Lucifer won’t let you get away with killing the exchange student.” You smile to yourself as you hear him gulp at the thought of incurring Lucifer’s wrath. Spotting two purple cans in the back of the fridge that you hoped were the Devildom equivalent of grape soda, you swiped them quickly and turned to assess your collection of junk food. Satisfied with your haul, you scooped everything into your arms and exited the kitchen.

As the two of you entered your room Mammon darted to your bed, sprawling out across the entirety of the mattress. 

“Unless you want me to sit on you I suggest you move.” At that, Mammon bolted upright, turning his quickly reddening face away from your line of sight.   
“As if I’d let that happen!”

You sat down beside him and looked through the stack of movies Mammon had brought with him. Upon closer examination, it reminded you a little of the Lord of the Rings from back in the human world.

“Should we be watching these chronologically or by theatrical release?”

“Hell if I know,” Mammon replied distractedly; he had leaned back against the wall beside your bed and was spinning a gold coin between his fingers. It seemed your companion would be absolutely no help in deciding the best course of action.

“I guess chronological order might help me make more sense of the plot.” You said, more to yourself than to Mammon. You heard a grunt of approval at your comment as you stood to put the first disk into the player. 

As you crouched down, you heard a soft knock at your door. Both you and Mammon glanced at each other in confusion before you walked to the door and opened it. Standing before you was Beelzebub, who stared straight over your head into the room, sniffing the air as he did so.

“Er, hi Beel. Did you need something?” You asked, quickly taking a step backward as Beel craned his neck forward, nearly leaning into you as he continued sniffing.

“I smell popcorn,” Beel said matter-of-factly as if that were any explanation for his sudden appearance in your room.

“Oi, scram! You can get your own popcorn Beel!” Mammon said, glaring from his place on your bed.

“We’re having a TSL movie marathon, so we stocked up on snacks,” you explained, still lingering by the door. Beel didn’t seem unfriendly, but you hadn’t really exchanged many words with him, the demon seemed mostly stoic unless seated in front of a pile of food. “If you’d like, you’re welcome to join us.” 

The large demon smiled at your invitation and nodded, striding further into the room and sitting on the floor in front of your bed.

“Hey, what do ya think you’re doing? Haven’t ya heard the saying two’s a party, three’s a crowd?” Mammon squawked in annoyance. You rolled your eyes at his complaints, and threw a pillow at his head to silence him as you settled back into your own spot on the bed. “This is going to be a long 12 hours if you complain the whole time, Mammon.”

“What— did you just say 12 hours?!” But before the conversation could devolve into yet another long list of complaints from the white-haired demon, you hit play on the movie and curled up beside him.

By the fifth movie, the three of you were slouched over in exhaustion, and soon Mammon’s soft snores could be heard throughout the room. At some point between the last few movies, Beel had also fallen asleep, and now laid sprawled across the floor. You couldn't help but quietly laugh at his sleeping face, still littered with the crumbs of various chips and other snacks. You stretched your limbs and rubbed at your face in an attempt to wake yourself up. While the other two could snooze away, you really needed to finish these movies if you were to stand a serious chance at impressing Levi with your TSL knowledge. 

As good as sleep sounded at the moment, you couldn’t afford to slack off now, there were only two more movies to go. Slipping out of bed as quietly as possible, you crept out of your room and made your way to the kitchen. The vision of a steaming hot cup of coffee clear was in your mind’s eye.

You made quick work of brewing a pot of coffee and reached to the best of your ability for a mug on one of the overhead shelves. You huffed in annoyance, staring at the ceramic mug placed right out of your reach. Soon after moving into the House of Lamentation, you’d quickly realized that things around here were designed for the convenience of tall demons. Perhaps it would be a good idea to request a step-stool in the kitchen so that you wouldn’t be forced to stand precariously on the countertop every time you wanted something. But until then, you’d have to settle with fine-tuning your climbing skills. You climbed up onto the countertop with relative ease, plucking the mug from the shelf. Before you could climb back down, you heard a chuckle from behind you, causing you to jolt upright and yelp in surprise.

You whirled around to see Solomon, leaning casually against the kitchen door and staring up at you in amusement. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Christ, you gave me a heart attack!” You berated him as you lowered yourself from the countertop. “Why are you still here? It’s like 3 in the goddamn morning.” You shot him the evil eye over your shoulder before striding to your pot of freshly brewed coffee. 

“So it’s too late for me to be around, but apparently not too late for coffee?” Solomon asked with a teasing tone in his soft voice.

“Quite frankly, that’s not your business. But to answer your question, it is never too late for coffee.” You looked at him from over the lip of your mug, unsure of what else to say to the man. The wary half of you was tempted to simply walk away without a word, but the other part of you couldn’t help but be curious about the mysterious man standing before you. 

“I wasn’t aware that you and Levi were friends,” you said, to your own surprise. 

Solomon approached the counter and grabbed a mug of his own from the shelf overhead. You didn’t miss the effortlessness with which he was able to reach the item you’d gone through so much extra effort to procure. He spoke as he poured his own cup of coffee.

“I don’t know if that’s what I’d call it. More like, casual acquaintances with mutual interests.”  
“I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t peg you as a major TSL nerd.” You said, half-jokingly. But despite your efforts to play coy, the expression on your face betrayed the skepticism you felt toward his ambiguous explanation. 

“Nor would I say the same of you. I suppose neither of us have entirely pure motives.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You ask defensively.

“I’m just saying, maybe we can help each other.” He glanced down at you appraisingly, as if the cogs were turning in his head as he spoke. You felt a chill run down your spine and pushed yourself off the counter, preparing to leave. At that moment, you could have sworn you felt the brush of his fingertips on your sleeve, as if he were about to grab your arm. Yet, as you quickly looked back at him, he looked as though he hadn’t moved at all. 

“I don’t need your help.” At your words, his gaze seemed to momentarily darken. Within an instant he appeared completely unphased, making you wonder if perhaps you’d imagined it. 

“If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” 

You scoffed at his offer and turned on your heel, leaving him alone in the dimly-lit kitchen.


End file.
